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Birth Marked by Caragh M. O'Brien

It is the future and there are those who live inside the wall and those who live out. Sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone lives outside the wall. She has followed in the footsteps of her mother who is a highly regarded mid-wife, committed to the the mission of the Enclave, to live the Enclave lifestyle and to serve it. When Gaia's mother and father are arrested by those who they dutifully serve, Gaia begins to question everything that she has been taught to believe. Gaia's only choice is to now enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or to die if necessary trying.
This first novel by high school English teacher Caragh O'Brien will make you feel like you have been thrown into this futuristic world and are questioning everything that you once felt was true. The author has always been interested in decoding language and skillfully uses this as an intrical component of the story. Birth Marked ends on a cliffhanger and without a doubt leaves it open to a sequel. It was recently a YALSA Young Adult Fiction nominee.
If you are a fan of dystopian novels, this is for you.
I love reading first time authors and this one did not disappoint!

Operation Teen Book Drop!

Be a part of teens helping teens. Through Tuesday, April 27 drop off a gently used teen read book in the library. These books will be distributed to homebound and hospitalized teen throughout the area. This is part of a national reading initiative called TBD! Operation Teen Book Drop co-sponsored by readergirlz and Guys Lit Wire. Help us reach our goal of 100 books by April 27!

Celebrating National Poetry Month

Do you like to write poetry? Do you enjoy sharing poetry readings with others? Then this event is for you!

Help the FHS library celebrate National Poetry Month by participating in the library's 1st annual Poetry Slam. (Due to state testing, we will celebrate the week of May 6.) Join us in the library during any of the lunches on Thursday, May 6th, to perform an original poem or one from another poet. Look for flyers around campus or drop by the library to get more details.

There will be prize drawings for participants.

Already onboard is Ms. Black's Creative Writing Class. You will want to be a part of all the fun!

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Seventeen year old Lennie, bookworm and band geek has always spent her time neatly tucked away in the shadow of her fiery older sister Bailey. But when Bailey suddenly dies, Lennie is immediately thrown into the center of her own life and suddenly finds herself juggling the affections of two boy. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend. His grief pretty much mirrors Lennie's. Then there is Joe, the new boy in town. Joe, a transplant from Paris is a girl's dream. He has a smile that melts, a sultry European accent and has musical talent that just makes him the hottest thing the band room has to offer.

This book will make you laugh and cry. It is heartbreaking and beautifully written. Jandy Nelson has hit the mark on this one. Chick lit readers will devour this!

Dark Dude by Oscar Hijuelos

In the 1960s, Rico Fuentes, a pale-skinned Cuban American teenager, abandons drug-infected New York City for the picket fence and apple pie world of Wisconsin, only to discover that he still feels like an outsider and that violent and judgmental people can be found even in the wholesome Midwest.

Teens will be able to relate to the authentic voice of Oscar Hijuelos.

While browsing the shelves in my library I came across this book. It caught my attention and turned out to be a terrific read! Recommend it to those who liked The Outsiders.

This is definitely one I will share with my guy readers.

Teen Tech Week in the FHS Library

We will be having events everyday at 8 am. See the schedule below. Plan to join us for these fun events!

Tuesday, March 9: Create your own Avatar

Wednesday, March 10: Check out the newest Google Tools!

Thursday, March 11: Get Nooked! A representative from Barnes and Noble will be here with Nooks to demonstrate the features of their new EReader. You won't want to miss this!

Friday, March 12: Show us your Apps. Bring your tech device and share your favorite Apps. Yes! You can legitimately use your iphone in the library.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

You know how a book just moves you to the point that you have to discuss it with others who have read it. That is that this book did to me. I couldn't get it out of my mind and have re-read it more then once.

Set in early 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi, "Skeeter" has just returned to Jackson after graduating from Ole Miss. Skeeter unlike her friends, is unmarried and mostly in limbo, but has the dream of being a writer.

Abileen, is a regal and devoted black woman who has proudly raised over seventeen of Jackson's finest young children while serving as domestic help in the homes of their parents. Abileen is grieving the loss of her son who lost his life due to racial strife.

Minny, who is Abileen's younger friend, is one of the sassiest among most of the domestic help in Jackson. She can cook like nobody's business, but also has a tongue that can get her fired from a job faster then you can say "pass the grits". Minny finally gets hired by a young lady who is too new to town for others to quite know her reputation. She also carries a secret of her own.

From totally different worlds, these three women come together for a clandestine project that can put all of them at great risk. The Help is a timeless and universal story that holds a message for all who read it.

Great discussion for classrooms studying the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S.

Suggestion: Ask your librarian to booktalk The Help as an introduction to a discussion about civil rights.

I'm Down: a memoir by Mishna Wolff

Mishna Wolff grew up in the 80's in a poor black neighborhood with her single father who truly thought he was a black men. He strutted around with the short afro type perm, polyester pants, gold chains and at times even the white patent leather shoes. Mishna's father tried early to make his white daughter "down". Boy did he try!

Sadly for Mishna, she just didn't quite fit in. She couldn't sing or dance and she definitely couldn't "double Dutch". No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't quite live up to her father's definition of "down". She was shy, not cool and felt painfully white in a neighborhood where she tried, but just couldn't fit in.

I'm Down is hip, hysterical and will have you howling with laughter. It will also have you questioning what it means to be black and white in America.

Read it, talk about it and definitely recommend it to others.

Numbers by Rachel Ward

Check out the booktrailer for Numbers by Rachel Ward

Lit Tweet....The Gentlemen by Michael Northrop

When three teenaged boys suspect that their English teacher is responsible for their friend's disappearance, they must navigate a maze of assorted clues, fraying friendships, violence, and Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" before learning the truth.

Blue Plate Special by Michelle Kwasney

Blue Plate Special is told through the perspective of three very different teenage girls - Madeline in the 1970s, Desiree in the 1990s, and Ariel in the 2009. I found each of their stories compelling and beautifully written. I especially like Desiree's story told in verse. The music references to each era really added to the girl's stories. Though it may seem as if chapters jumping between three different girls and three different decades would confuse the reader, I thought the narrative was flawlessly pulled off. Overall, I found each of the girls to be really interesting, multi-layered characters. Even though they made bad decisions and were born into a lot of bad circumstances, I thought they were survivors. I also enjoyed the references to the 'blue plate special', and it's importance to Tad and Madeline.

This was a truly powerful novel. It emotionally pulled me in from start to finish. The author did a brilliant job of telling the story from multiple viewpoints. Highly recommended.

The Morgue and Me by John C. Ford

Christopher just needed a job to kill time the summer after high school graduation. He didn’t expect it to be in the morgue. Or that he would accidentally discover a murder cover-up. Or that his discovery would lead him to a full-blown investigation involving bribery, kidnappings, more murders . . . and his best friend. And he certainly could never have predicted that Tina—loud, insanely hot, ambitious newspaper reporter Tina—would be his partner. But all of that did happen. And Christopher’s life will never be the same.With plenty of plot twists, red herrings, and dry wit, The Morgue and Me is a page-turning modern take on the classic detective genre.Review: I like a good mystery so was looking forward to reading this one. And, I really like the cover. I had a difficult time getting into the book and almost gave up at one point, but something kept me going. I think it was the main character, Christopher. He's a guy who is just out of high school, but the author makes him someone who really loves his family, which seemed unusual for the gender/age group/genre. It isn't mushy-lovey-dovey stuff, but little comments thrown in throughout the book that give Christopher a solid grounding and I really liked that. So, I kept going and am glad that I did! I stayed up late last night to finish the book I was so into what was happening as all the loose ends of the mystery come together. I ended up going from maybe not finishing the book to enjoying it.

(Summary from the inside book flip)

Lit Tweet......The Juvie Three by Gordon Korman

Gecko, Arjay, and Terence, all in trouble with the law, must find a way to keep their halfway house open in order to stay out of juvenile detention.

TAYSHAS 2010 IS HERE!

The 2010 Tayshas High School Reading List was just released. There is a record-breaking number of books on the list this year. It has something for all readers, not matter what you thing is. Click on this link and select 2010 Tayshas Reading List. Then get to the FHS Library, browse our display and grab whose books you want to read before they are all gone.
Then Read On!

Are you an aspiring writer? Do you want to get published?

Do you have a story?
Share your novels, stories, poems, and essays with the inkpop community for a chance to get published!
Click on this Ink Pop link for more details.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

High school sophomore Nora has always been very cautious in her relationships, but all her sense of caution goes out the window when she gets sight of Patch, a new boy in school. He is mesmerizing and has a dark side she can sense. She is mysteriously and strongly drawn to him, despite warnings from her best friend, the school counselor, and her own instincts. Has he always been a bad boy?

This debut author has the ability to write in a true voice that many teens will relate to. Look for the sequel Crescendo coming in the fall of 2010.

Check out the author's website at: http://www.beccafitzpatrick.com/

Plain Truth by Jodi Piccoult

This is a review from Ms. Walker - 9th grade English teacher at FHS

This novel is set in the Pennsylvania Amish community where an unspeakable crime has been committed. Violence and worldliness are in direct opposition to the peaceful god-fearing Amish community. This is a hard-to-put-down page turner right to the very end.

Thanks Ms. Walker!

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

This first novel by author Betty Smith was highly received at the time of publication and went on to become a classic.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is the story of Francie Nolan and her family including brother Neeley, mother Katie and father Johnny. This powerful look at poverty in the early 1900s leads Katie to teach her children that they are above handouts and will take responsibility for their lives even if it means little food on the table and surviving life in a cold walk up apartment in a shabby neighborhood.

Francie is a young girl coming to grips with some of the horrific realities of her life in Brooklyn: death, hunger, pure human hatred, and meanness. She experiences life through books, observation and writing and goes on to find what the future holds for her.

This book has a timeless message. It shows the resilience of those who struggle and the love that endures even through the hardships life throws our way.

Teens' Top Ten 2009

Each year, thousands of teens vote in the Young Adult Library Services Association's Teens' Top Ten, the only booklist created entirely by and for teens. In 2009, teens cast more than 11,000 votes, choosing the top ten teen books from a list of twenty-five finalists.
The 2009 winners were announced in a webcast produced by World Wrestling Entertainment and featuring WWE Divas Brie and Nikki Bella and winner John Green.
Note: You may not be able to access the link to the webcast on youtube from this link, but check it out on your home computer.

The 2009 Teens' Top Ten is: (check the call numbers below for the location of these titles in our library)
Paper Towns by John Green (F GRE)
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (F MEY)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (F COL)
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (F CLA)
Identical by Ellen Hopkins (F HOP)
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (F GAI)
Wake by Lisa McMann (F McM)
Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (F LOC)
Graceling by Kristin Cashore (F CAS)

John Green, the 2009 winner, also created a video about his win.